Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.

A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.

You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Login or Register now by clicking on the button
Log in or Sign up

Any update on the Brothers Islands diving moratorium?

I am scheduled to do a Northern Red Sea liveaboard in September that includes the Brothers in its notional itinerary. I know that the moratorium on diving there was extended to March 15 (today). Does anyone know whether the moratorium lapses automatically, or whether it takes an affirmative action by Egyptian authorities to reopen the area?

Looks like the islands have been reopened but with restrictions on mooring overnight — so it won’t be possible for any given boat to spend more than a day at the islands. Seems not unreasonable under the circumstances. We’ll see how liveaboards alter their itineraries.

By the way, I encountered an oceanic white tip on a blackwater drift dive in Kona, and it was striking how many close passes it made, though we were definitely not chumming (unless it could smell the fresh brownies on the boat).. Definitely had my attention, even if it was just a juvenile.

I’m on my way home after a week on the Red Sea Aggressor. Nice boat and crew, but cold and hardly any big life—when the say “off season”, they mean it. We were at Little Brother on Monday for three dives and then moved on to Daedalus on Tuesday. I think there were a couple of thresher sharks spotted on Monday, no oceanic white tips at all.

Thanks for the reply, 3 years ago moored at Brothers for 2 nights and did 4 dives at Big Brother and 4 at Little Brother. I wonder if the no overnight mooring is permanent or not? Sorry your trip was sparse for the big stuff

From what the crew said, research over the last months definitely suggests that food from the boats contributes to the aggressive behavior on the part of the sharks, so it would’t surprise me if it was permanent.

From what the crew said, research over the last months definitely suggests that food from the boats contributes to the aggressive behavior on the part of the sharks, so it would’t surprise me if it was permanent.

Click to expand...

Wouldn't you think there might also be discharge of food at Daedalus? I wonder what the difference might be?